Last week we asked readers to send nominations for their favourite films of the year. We've received close to 1,000 votes, with a clear winner; the film in first place took nearly twice as many votes as the film in third place. The film in second place, meanwhile, was quite a surprise – and possibly indiciative that the film has a very dedicated online fanbase.

When we did a similar poll halfway through the year, Django Unchained, The Place Beyond the Pines and The Great Gatsby landed in first, second and third places respectively. Read on to see how views have changed in the intervening months …

"An original, excellent story, well written and directed with great sensitivity. A blend of Stand By Me and Huckleberry Finn with fine acting throughout. Beautifully photographed, no special effects, simply a rock solid story craftily acted." Iain Allan

"Jeff Nichols is undoubtedly one of the best writer/directors currently working. There wasn't any other film this year that had me laughing, caring and as invested as this one." Luke Hamilton

"Cate Blanchett was superb. Well written and entertaining. Strong supporting performances and a well directed film." Gabe Durkin

"Cate Blanchett shrugs off the pressure of occupying centre stage throughout with the authority of an actor at the very peak of her powers. From both a technical and artistic perspective, I've yet to see a better performance." Colin Woods

"Uncompromising and almost parodic. The viewer is obliged to take the film entirely on its own terms. Surrender to it and it becomes mesmerising – and features an extraordinary performance from Kristin Scott Thomas." Richard Matthews

The Act of Killing is 'the best, and most horrific, film of this year's Toronto film festival'.

"A brilliant and chilling study of a society that has never been forced to address its gruesome past. Joshua Oppenheimer balances history with the surreal by asking perpetrators of Indonesia's mass killings in the 60s to recreate their murder rituals. At first Anwar, the principal character, is only too happy to speak freely of his bloody past but his slow realisation of the trauma he inflicted is as powerful a cinematic moment as any you will come across this year." Neil Morrison

"It is like no other film I have ever seen. The Act Of Killing is important, a benchmark in film history." rlr

"It's not only a good Tarantino film, I think it's an important film. Alongside the gags and the cartoon violence of the villainous slavers, it shows the complicity of several generations of ordinary people in the crime of slavery – Hannah Arendt's banality of evil, writ large and punctuated with the Tarantino suite of kickass soundtrack, blood, bullets, genuine bad guys and the best script of the year." Stuart Forbes

"Gripping, tense, emotional. one of the best films I've ever seen." Edward McNulty

"Stunning brain food … an introspective movie about love and loss, power and prestige and the relevance of self. The characters, music, performances, themes: everything is perfect and so overwhelming and so rich in details. I wanted it to never end." Fashionprix

"An astonishing exploration of passion, female-ness, class, and the aching transition from adolescence to adulthood via a harrowing first love. The two lead performers achieve the highest level of artistry possible. I can't think of another performance in the history of cinema that matches the truth, beauty and openness of Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux in their towering, brave and immersive performances." Eileen

"Sex scene controversy aside, this is the most real and emotionally stirring film of the year. The performance of Adèle Exarchopoulos is absolutely stunning, every single one of her moments are judged to perfection." Tom Hooper

"Unequivocally the most absorbing and disarming narrative in a very long time. Delving into the roots of the human condition, it is brutal, beautiful and underrated. A storytelling triumph that shakes your core and leaves you all the better for it." Simon Cole

"Its sheer ambition was something to behold and the interweaving of the criminal and law-abiding world was fascinating. Ryan Gosling did his thing but Bradley Cooper was a relevation and his character's son [Emory Cohen] was understated swagger personified." Nick Fenwick

"An inspiring film about the aspiration of a man with limited talent reaching for his dreams" Chris Meddleton

"A total pleasure – funny, touching, educational, and proof to youngsters that if you have faith in yourself and determination you can achieve your dream. This film really has the feelgood factor, and everyone left the cinema with a huge smile on their faces, which is rare for any film!" Patsy Andrews

No breathing room … Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the pas de deux of Gravity. Photograph: Warner/Sportsphoto/Allstar

"Gravity was precisely what cinema was invented for. A landmark achievement in special effects, absolutely gripping throughout and the only film ever to even hint at what it must really feel like to be in space. It is so exciting to think where cinema could go from here if Gravity is used as the template." Donald Cameron

"No points for narrative invention or great dialogue, but these are of little matter. This film is about character and circumstance, and how audience empathy for the former is importantly enabled by its immersion in the latter. Sandra Bullock gives a moving performance, and Alfonso Cuaron's 3D mise-en-scene is like none I have experienced in a movie theatre before." William Husson

"A game changer. Beautifully shot, best use of 3D in a major picture thus far, wonderfully written and acted, effects that serve the story (not just for spectacle), an excellent score and as tense as anything I've seen for a long time. Cultured cinema." Wesley